Curiosity

Darwin possesses a strong curiosity about the natural world. He wants to know as much about it as he can and share his observations with other naturalists. The common people who do not have the same curiosity puzzle him because he cannot imagine just brushing away the observations with a blanket statement involving supernatural forces.

Many of the arguments against science are still in use today. Rather than species changing and evolving, some people still believe all life magically appeared at once. For Darwin and many others, this explanation is too simple and convenient. Nature obviously does magnificent things, like build mountains and islands in the middle of expansive oceans. It can be violent to the extreme, as when a series of earthquakes ravage the Pacific Islands and parts of South America. Yet life always finds a way to continue existing, and to Darwin this is a fascinating...